Realizing What's True
by davis-baker
Summary: Ten years can really change a person. It can also change a town, too. Haley never came back from tour until ten years later. Was Nathan and Haley's love just not meant to last? Or can Haley convince Nathan that there's still so much more there? NH. R
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - Okay, so this is my first major Naley story, I usually write Brucas. Therefore, I have no idea if I'm writing this good. So please, reviews are very crucial because I need to know if this is worth continuing.**

**Basically, all you need to know is that Haley never came back from tour and stuff until ten years later. **

**PLEASE READ, ENJOY, and REVIEW.**

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Realizing What's True

Chapter 1 -

She stepped off the bus and looked at her surroundings. This was a place she thought she'd never see again.

_Tree Hill_

Except, things were all different now. Everything's changed. It doesn't feel like the same Tree Hill, if that makes any sense. It doesn't feel like her home anymore. _That's because it isn't, it hasn't been for the past ten years_, she quickly reminds herself. She had resided in New York, and that had been her home.

Suddenly, she feels a pit in her stomach, and she wonders, maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she should have just stayed in New York.

Coming back to Tree Hill couldn't possibly do anything good. It would just lead to the opening of closed wounds.

"_Haley, what's wrong?"_

"_Um...Michelle Branch likes my voice, she thinks I could be a singer. A real one." She said, paused, then continued. She knew Nathan wouldn't be happy with her next sentence. "Chris said that she wants me on tour. I'm so far ahead with classes, and I'd be back in time for finals."_

"_So says the great Chris." Nathan interjects. _

"_No, this isn't about him. Nathan, this is about opportunity. I have my entire life been the reliable one, and the dependable one. And I've always done precisely what's expected of me."_

"_Until we got married."_

"_Exactly. And then, I finally did something for me, something that I wanted. And the world didn't end. And I have that chance again."_

"_If you leave me...-."_

"_This is not the end for us. This is my shot to find out if I am good enough to have a life in music. Or if nights at Tric are all I get."_

"_And this has nothing to do with Chris?"_

"_No. Absolutely not." She stared directly into his blue orbs. It didn't have anything to do with Chris, not at all. But this was her chance to become something big. To make something of herself._

"_Then why don't you ask me to come with you? Did you kiss him?"_

"_Yes." She saw his face fall at her confession. The look of disappointment, the look of sadness on her husband's face; it all made her sick. "I'm sorry. You have to believe me. That's not what this is about. Nathan..."_

"_Haley, listen. If you wanna go, you should go. If you do, we're done." With that, Nathan left the apartment. _

She snapped out of her daze. It was that night, the night that continued to haunt her, that her life started falling apart. She'd tried calling Nathan after that, she even tried to come back once, but he didn't want to hear it. She'd chosen music over him. Plain and simple. She made her choice, and he wasn't apart of it.

"_Haley, please." Brooke pleaded into the phone. Haley had been in New York for six years and hadn't kept close contact with anybody back home. That was why she was surprised when an invitation to Brooke and Lucas's wedding came in the mail. _

"_Brooke, you know I would love to be there...I just...I can't go back. Not after all that's happened."_

"_I'm sure if you explain things to him, he'd understand. He'll forgive you."_

"_Yeah, right." Haley scoffed. "Right after he tells me he never wants to see, and never wants to talk, to me again." _

"_It's all in the past, though, Hales. He's moved on." Brooke mentally slapped herself for saying the last part. _

_Haley sighed over the phone. "I know he has. And that's part of the reason I can't go back. I'm sorry. I gotta go, I've got some gig at a local club. Tell Lucas I say hi." _

_Upon leaving, she only hoped that there was one thing Nathan wouldn't do. Move on. Get over her. That way, she'd know that their relationship meant at least something to him. But there she had heard it, from Brooke, he had moved on. She didn't want to know any details, who he was dating, perhaps even married to. Just knowing that he got over he was enough._

_She was not going back to Tree Hill._

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The apartment was no longer owned by Nathan, the river court had been taken over by a younger aged group of kids, and she no longer had a place to call home. There was one thing she knew would never change, though.

She smiled as she saw the 'open' sign on the door of Karen's Café. Through the window, she could see Karen frantically trying to control the crowded café. There was also a brunette-haired little girl sitting by the counter, coloring in a coloring book.

"Now or never." She mumbled to herself, opening the café's door.

Unbeknown to Karen, she quietly moved through the café, finding a seat at the counter. She was practically next to the small girl she'd noticed through the window and became curious as to whom the child belonged to.

"Yes, what can I get you?" Karen asked, her eyes glued to a cup of coffee she was pouring.

"Oh, just a cup of coffee." Once her sentence was finished, Karen looked up and almost dropped the pot of boiling water.

"Haley. Oh my god. What are you doing back?"

"I figured it was about time." Haley shrugged, smiling the tiniest bit.

By now, Karen had made her way around the counter and wrapped Haley in a hug. "It's good to have you back."

"Karen!" The child called out.

"What's wrong Kenzie?"

"Who's that?" The child asked, suddenly forgetting about her crayons and coloring book.

"Well this, Mackenzie, is Haley."

"Hi, Haley. I'm Mackenzie." Haley gave the loud little girl a smile, then looked at Karen for an explanation.

"Oh, um, I'm just babysitting for a friend."

"Oh. Um, Karen, do you mind giving me Lucas and Brooke's address."

"Sure, sure. No problem. Luke's gonna be thrilled to see you."

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"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Haley heard the muffled reply through the door. Within a second, the door flung opened and there was Brooke Davis, still looking as bubbly as she had from highschool, of course with a few minor changes.

"Oh my god, Haley. You're here."

"Yeah. And you're um, you're pregnant!"

"Yeah, twenty six weeks." Brooke smiled proudly, rubbing her protruding stomach. "Come on in. Luke's not home right now, he's still at the office. But he should be getting home within the hour."

Haley walked into the house. The furniture was elegant, yet still fashionable, and it _so _had Brooke Davis, well, Scott, written all over it.

"So." Brooke started a conversation after plopping down on the couch. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, last time I spoke to you, you were one hundred percent positive you would never step foot on Tree Hill land again. I mean, I'm totally ecstatic that you're back, but, it's so, just so sudden of you."

"I just realized it was time to come home. Which is weird, because Tree Hill hasn't been my home for quite sometime. But, I just felt I was ready to come back."

"Oh. Well, have you seen, um..."

"No." She replied automatically. "I just saw Karen, got your address and came here. Brooke, how is he?"

"Truthfully. He's doing good. I mean I don't want to upset you or anything, but a year after you left, he sorta realized you weren't ever going to come home again." Haley's face fell upon hearing Brooke's words. "I mean, he waited for you, and he was just miserable. He still cares about you, Hales. I think you should go speak to him. You can wait 'til tomorrow, but the sooner, the better."

"Yeah. Tomorrow."

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It was the next day and Haley had been standing in front of the Scott residence for twenty minutes, debating whether this was really worth it. For a second, she considered running away. Running away and going back to New York. But then she remembered Karen, Brooke, and Lucas, and how happy they had been when they saw that she was back in town.

Finally, she took a deep breath, walked up to the door, and rang the bell. She heard footsteps coming closer to the door, and with each one, her heart pounded faster.

And then there he was. Clad in boxers and an old basketball jersey. His blue eyes widened as he just stood there, shocked. He looked the same, except his hair had grown a bit longer.

"Daddy!" A voice behind him called.

To Haley, that voice seemed familiar. It was the same girl from the day before, Mackenzie. She came running beside Nathan and hugged his leg. "Hey, it's you, from the café!" Mackenzie said, pointing up at Haley. Haley gave the small girl a smile before returning her gaze on Nathan.

"H-Haley?"

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**A/N - Any good? REVIEW! (Five reviews or more and I continue.)**

**I would also like to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. **

**----------Melissa **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - Hey people! Glad you enjoyed chapter 1. **

**Special thanks to: **ocjourney, Angie Elle, Liasonsupercouple, GottaluvNaley, Alisa23, saderia, alwaysand4evaluv, MariC128, naley4ever323, NaleYLuV01, **for reviewing! I loved all your reviews!**

**So anyway, here's chapter 2. I'm pretty sure you know that the writing in **_**italics **_**is a flashback, but incase you didn't know, now you do lol. They're from all different times so I hope it's not confusing. **

**Read, Enjoy, Review! Thanks!**

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Realizing What's True

Chapter 2 -

"So, Peyton, Jake, and Jenny are coming over for dinner at around six." Brooke said, placing the cordless phone down.

"Sounds good. Hey, by the way, did you ever mention Kenzie to Haley."

"Maybe." Brooke replied quickly to Lucas, then resorted to studying her polished fingernails. "Brooke..."

"What? Okay, fine, no I didn't. But Luke, that's because I knew that if I did tell her about Mackenzie she probably wouldn't go. Therefore, they wouldn't get a chance to talk. And they have to talk things out. They're _Naley_."

"They haven't been "Naley" for a while, babe."

"I know." Brooke sighed as Lucas placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Well, I better get down to the office, I've got a deadline to finish by. I should only be there for an hour or two."

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"H-Haley?"

"—Nathan...I...um..." And suddenly, Haley was at lost for words. For years she had always tried thinking of what she would say if she decided to go back. She played several conversations of how it would go in her mind. But suddenly, seeing him standing right in front of her, staring directly in her eyes, she couldn't remember one of those things she'd planned on saying.

"Kenz, why don't you go inside and play with the new dolls daddy bought for you?"

"But daddy, I wanna stay here."

"Mackenzie, what did I tell you about being a good girl, huh?"

"Fine." Mackenzie grunted, turning back into the house.

Once the little girl was out of sight, Nathan opened his mouth to speak.

"What the hell are you doing here, Haley?"

"I...I came back."

"Yeah. Yeah, I can see that." Nathan said, running a hand through his hair.

"Are you gonna say anything?" Haley asked after a minute of silence.

"What do you want me to say? Why the hell are you here, Haley? Do you need money, a place to stay...?"

"No. Nathan, no. I came here...because, I needed to come back."

"Well what does that have to do with me? Why are you here, on my doorstep? I told you I never wanted to talk to you again."

"_Nathan. Thank god you called—." _

"_Did you sign the damn papers yet?" _

"_Nathan—." _

"_No, Haley, get them signed. That way all of this can be over with." _

"_I still love you, Nathan." _

"_Yeah, but you didn't love me enough to stay, right? Look, just sign the papers, send them back, and I'll take care of the rest. Enjoy New York, Hales. I hope it's worth it." The bitter words dripped off his tongue, and before Haley knew it, she was listening to a dial tone. _

_She hung up the phone and looked through her bag. There it was. The annulment papers. She grabbed a pen from her bag and opened the envelope. This was it. _

"Nathan, I tried calling you all those years and you..."

"Yeah, I didn't want to hear it. I thought you would've gotten the picture after the first few times."

"I tried coming back, too, Nathan. You wouldn't listen."

"And you blame for that? Haley, you just left...I got back to the apartment and you weren't there. Your sister was and she told me you were gone. How do you think that made me feel?" Nathan was never the sensitive type, but talking about that night always hit him. "And I even came to see you once, too. And right there, you basically told me that you thought our marriage was a mistake."

"I told you to wait until the show was over and then when I went backstage to find you, you were gone. You left."

"Yeah, I did. Sorta like what you did to me. Look, Haley, I gotta get back to my daughter. Bye." He slowly closed the door and Haley sighed defeated; that conversation hadn't gotten her anywhere.

She scoffed her shoes on the ground while cursing incoherently under her breath.

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"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know...Are you mad?" Brooke asked Haley later that day.

"No, it's fine. I actually should've known anyway."

"Why's that?"

"Well, when I stopped by the café yesterday Mackenzie was also there. And Karen sort of looked uncomfortable and made up some excuse. Who's her mother?"

Brooke stiffened upon hearing that question. "Nathan met someone at Duke during his sophomore year. We all thought she was great, ya know? She was pretty, she seemed nice, had a great sense of humor. A few months before graduation they got married, she was pregnant with Mackenzie. A few days after Kenzie was born, she left. She just ran away, leaving Nathan with the baby. We didn't hear of her until a few months later and we found out she had died. A car accident or something. Nathan was just lost. I mean, he was so torn apart. We had to take Mackenzie away from him for a little bit, give him time to figure out some stuff. Eventually, he gave up his position on the team - he was playing for the Charlotte Bobcats- he came back, took his daughter, and that's his life now. He spends most of his time with Mackenzie, the other half coaching the Ravens."

"Wow." Was Haley's only reaction. Hearing all that, she wished she would have been there to help Nathan get through all of that.

"Yeah. So look, Hales. He probably seemed really bitter when you spoke to him, that's because ever since all that happened, he still has a hard time letting people in. So, um, did he say anything?"

"Well, he basically told me what I already knew. That he hates me, that I chose music over him, and that he never wants to speak to me again."

"Aw, I'm sorry."

"I guess I set myself up for it all, huh? So, Mackenzie seems like a cute kid."

"She is." Brooke smiled. "Nathan's such a great dad. He really turned himself around." Haley nodded as Brooke continued. "I don't know if you're interested or anything, but I invited Peyton, Jake, and Jenny over for dinner. They should be coming over in an hour or so, so..."

"Sounds great."

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"Haley. I heard you were back in town." Peyton said in a cold, monotone voice.

"Yeah. How have you been?"

"Fine, thanks. Visited Nathan yet? I'm sure he'd love to see you." Brooke glanced at Peyton with a questioning look. Why was Peyton acting like that?

"Actually, I did. Earlier today."

"Oh really? I'm sure he was thrilled. I mean he was in pretty bad shape when you left him—."

"Uh, Peyton. Can you help me get drinks in the kitchen?"

"Why are you doing that?" Brooke whispered once the two were in the kitchen.

"What? You expect me to be nice to her? Do you remember how Nathan was when she left?"

_It had been almost a whole year since Haley left. Nathan was starting to lose hope. _

"_Hey. How've you been?" Peyton asked, taking a seat next to Nathan. _

_The whole gang -minus Haley, of course- was gathered at Tric to watch Jack's Mannequin play. "I've been better." Nathan said taking a swig from his beer bottle. _

"_Where'd you get that?" _

"_Took it from home." _

"_Oh." _

"_Yup."_

"_So, what? Gonna spend another night getting wasted?" _

"_Look, Peyton. I don't really need another lecture, okay? If I wanna drink, then fine, let me have a drink." _

"_You know it's okay to be upset, Nate. You don't need to put on an act. We know you miss her." _

_Nathan placed the bottle down. "She's never coming back is she?"_

"_Sometimes they come back..." _

"_She's never coming back." Nathan answered the question himself. He then took another swig from the bottle. _

_Haley wasn't coming back. _

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**A/N - There you have it, chapter 2!**

**Please review! **

**Thanks, **

**Melissa**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - I am sorry for the long wait. I hope you can understand that I have been swamped with school work these past few weeks. **

**Thanks: **Alisa23, ocjourney, TutorGal23, Angie Elle, naley4ever323, GottaluvNaley, purplesquares, and ega1 **for their great reviews!!!! **

**READ. ENJOY. REVIEW.**

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Realizing What's True

Chapter 3 -

"_James, we got a package for you." A slender man tossed her a large manilla envelope. _

_She grimaced a bit upon hearing that last name. It had taken her a while since arriving in New York to get used to that name again. All she wants to remember is being called Haley James Scott, or simply Haley Scott. Haley James was her name before she had married Nathan, before she had loved Nathan. _

"_What you got there, Miss Haley?" Chris Keller said, taking a seat next to her on the leather couch, draping an arm over her shoulder. _

"_It's something from Nathan." She whispered more to herself than him. She hadn't heard from Nathan in quite a few months and last she spoke to him, he didn't want anything to do with her ever again. _

"_Oh, Nathan, right. How is my good buddy Nate anyway?" Chris smirked, while he leaned closer to Haley. _

"_Ugh, shut up, Chris." Haley mumbled_ _as she took his arm off her body and stood up, pacing around with the large envelope still in her hand. _

_She's not sure why, but she knows what is in the package. She knew it would be coming, it had to of. Of course Nathan wouldn't want to stay married after all this. She took a seat across from Chris and slowly her fingers ran across the name from the return address. _

_Nathan Scott. _

_She mumbled incoherently about how unbelievable all this was. It was just less than one year ago that she had loathed Nathan Scott. Back then it was just she and Lucas. And then she finally got to know Nathan and she felt something strong. Love. And it was then her whole world changed. And now here she was, living in a loft in New York City with Chris Keller._

"_Haley? Hello, earth to Haley James. Are you alright?"_

_Haley snapped out of her daze when Chris's voice interjected._

"_What? Oh, yeah, I'm, um, I'm fine." She slowly opened the envelope and there they were._

_The annulment papers. _

Haley sighed as her head hit the pillow. She knew that Peyton had a right to be like that. After all, when she left, _she _did hurt Nathan. Badly, too.

Maybe coming back to Tree Hill wasn't such a good idea. Nathan obviously didn't want her to come back. He had moved on since then and created himself a life. And he seemed to be doing good at that, too. He coaches the Ravens and has a beautiful daughter. As she thinks of Mackenzie, his four —almost five— year-old daughter, she frowns. Because when she was married to Nathan, she would always like to imagine their future together. And that included kids. But now he has a kid with somebody else, and though the mother's not in the picture anymore, his daughter will always be a reminder of his dead wife.

"Haley, can I come in?" Brooke asked through the door.

"Yeah." She replied sitting up in her bed.

"Hey. How you holding up?"

"Um, I guess I'm okay. I mean, Peyton didn't kill me, so I guess I'm fine."

"Yeah. I'm really sorry about the way she was acting. I guess some people don't know how to forgive and forget, huh?"

"No. Guess not. But it's okay, if I were her, I'd be pretty pissed at myself, too. I really hurt him, didn't I?"

"Yeah, I guess you did." Brooke gave Haley a sad smile before continuing. "But like I said, it's all in the past. He probably came off really mean because he was just so shocked. You know, Hales, some people just don't take surprises as well as I do." She smirked. "And I don't know if we told you this, but me and Lucas are really glad your back."

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"What do you think about Josh? Hmm...Josh Scott? Ugh, no..." Brooke sighed, proceeding to cross out yet another name in her baby name book.

"Why are you doing this, again? You don't even know if you're having a girl or a boy." Haley asked, more interested in the television program on tv than her best friend's baby name problem.

"Well that's where you're wrong, Tutor Girl —wow, I haven't used that name in awhile—."

"Yeah, and please don't ever use it again."

"Fine. Anyway, Haley, you're wrong. Because here," She picked up a small white envelope, "In this envelope is one of two words. Boy or Girl."

"Brooke, you didn't."

"Yes I did. I told Lucas he doesn't have to know, he can have his little surprise. I on the other hand want to know."

"So why haven't you opened it yet?"

"Because first I want to pick three girl names and then three boy names. It will be easier to chose one of those when I find out."

"Brooke, don't look at it. I think you should wait and be surprised, just like Lucas. It'll be more fun that way."

"Fine." Brooke sighed. "You and Lucas are no fun. No wonder you two are best friends."

"Ha ha, very funny."

Interrupting the two friends' antics, the doorbell rang.

"Can you get that? I'm too fat to get up." Brooke muttered as she stared at her pregnant stomach.

"Yeah, fat, sure." Haley replied back sarcastically, getting up from her seat.

Her hand twisted the doorknob and her smile immediately faded once she saw who was at the door.

"Nathan...um...hi."

"Haley, I was hoping we could talk."

Haley was truly shocked. Why would Nathan, Nathan Scott, want to talk to her? Yesterday he said he never wanted to talk to her again.

"Maybe we should go upstairs.".

"Yeah, that would be fine."

"Um, Brooke, we'll just be upstairs." Haley rushed past Brooke and ignored her questioning gaze.

"So." Haley broke the silence when they were in Lucas and Brooke's guestroom. "Where's Mackenzie?"

"With the babysitter."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Um, let's sit down...Listen, Haley, about yesterday—."

"I completely understand why you acted the way you did."

"No, Haley, I wanted to say sorry. I was just so...so shocked. I haven't seen you in years."

"Yeah, about ten."

"God, has it been that long?" Haley nodded as she looked anywhere but his face. His gorgeous face with those gorgeous blue eyes. "Wow. So yeah, I was just really surprised that you'd just turn up on my doorstep. You hurt me, Hales."

Hearing Nathan call her 'Hales' broke her heart. He sounded so sad, so upset..., so vulnerable.

"I know, Nathan. God, I know. Oh, I'm so sorry." She immediately broke down. "Can you forgive me?" She hadn't meant to ask that question so soon. She planned to give it time, let them become reacquainted first. But she needed to know.

"I don't know. I mean, you just left me, and I tried to get you to come back and nothing would work. You wouldn't listen to me. I loved you, Haley." Past tense, Ouch. "I loved you so much! God. I was so messed up. And then, after a year I said screw it, you were never going to come back. I went off to college and met this girl. She was great. Not as great as you, but I tried to make her fill the void that you left in my heart. And I think it worked. I was able to make myself fall in love with her; another woman. I had thought that would be impossible to do after you, but it worked. We both loved each other, me and her. We got married and had my daughter. But then she left me, Haley, she left me just like you did! And I remember it was then, in that moment, that I thought I had never felt worse. But then I remembered you, my first love, and how you left me, too. And then I just died inside. I had nothing. Nothing except my daughter. And when I realized I still had Mackenzie, I got off my drunken ass and I changed. And to this day Mackenzie will be the only girl that I will ever, ever love again."

Throughout his whole speech, if you could call it one, Haley sat there, tears streaming down her cheeks. She'd never seen Nathan this hurt before. He was even at a point of crying. She could see tears well up in his eyes.

"Nathan..."

"Look, Haley. I'm sorry I hurt you yesterday. I just used to have a lot of issues and I would hate for them to all pop up again because you came back. I hope you can understand that. I just can't sink to that low anymore, I have a responsibility as a father."

"No, no, I understand."

"I, um, I gotta get back to Kenzie. But I just thought I should stop by and let you know. I guess I'll be seeing you around." He waved slightly and walked towards the door.

"Nathan?" He turned around and waited for her to speak again. "I'm sorry."

He nodded in acknowledgment and walked out of the room.

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**A/N - Not sure if this was any good but I really wanted to get something out for you guys. **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Thanks, **

—**Melissa **


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